COOKIE CUTTERS

The holidays were a special time in communal Amana when cooks could be creative with their cookie making . The local tinsmith would also g

et creative by shaping many different kinds of cookie cutters. And he made many! There were open shapes of animals, geometries, and people but most had a tin backing with a well formed handle. These special tin pieces were strong enough to last generations for the Easter and Christmas holiday cut out, sugar cookies as the "running rabbit" and star shapes. Some were even designed to cut out shapes in a shape as with the man and women cutters with extra tinwork in the centers. Many were used in the community kitchens and later in the homes as the communal system ended in 1932. I so enjoy these cookie cutters possibly as much as the cookies that will and have been made from these little pieces of folk art!